The Indian Panorama

Tag: Houston

  • US police chiefs call for reducing prison population

    US police chiefs call for reducing prison population

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A group of 130 police chiefs, prosecutors and sheriffs from around the United States called for reforms that would to reduce the US prison population.

    The top cops are adding their voice as a group to others – including President Barack Obama – who want to lower the incarceration rate, which is the highest among developed countries.

    “We can say from experience that we can bring down both incarceration and crime together,” said Chicago police department superintendent Garry McCarthy, speaking at the group’s first meeting in Washington.

    While the US population has increased by 30 per cent since 1980, the country’s prison population jumped 800 per cent during the same period, largely due to sentences that are disproportionately harsh compared to other countries.

    US prison cells are often packed with drug addicts, non-violent petty criminals, or prisoners with psychiatric problems, and are serving sentences that are so long that they often lose any chance for rehabilitation.

    “Those individuals that can be saved, that want to do something positive to not recidivate and keep going to jail or prison – we’ve got to have an avenue to allow them to do that and for them to become productive members in our society,” said Houston, Texas police chief Charles McClelland.

    “It is cheaper to keep someone out of jail and prevent a crime. In the state of Texas, it costs almost USD 60,000 a year to keep one inmate locked up,” he said.

    Several members of the group, which includes the police chiefs of Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles, will meet with the president today.

    The United States is preparing to release in November thousands of prisoners considered at low risk of returning to crime, as part of an effort to ease prison overcrowding and redress overly harsh sentences.

    The release comes after the US Sentencing Commission, which sets policy for federal crimes, reduced its sentencing guidelines for drug possession.

    In his weekly radio address on Saturday, Obama urged reforming the US criminal justice system, saying much of it “remains unfair” and that punishments should correspond to the severity of crimes. (Source: AFP )

  • 1 dead, 1 wounded in Texas University shooting

    1 dead, 1 wounded in Texas University shooting

    HOUSTON (TIP): One person was dead and another wounded after a shooting at a student housing complex at a Texas university Friday, October 9, police said.

    University spokesman Kendrick Callis said the shooting was reported around 11:30 a.m. Friday at University Courtyard Apartments on the edge of the Texas Southern University campus. Callis said the campus was placed on lockdown and classes were canceled for the rest of the day. The lockdown was lifted Friday afternoon.

    Texas Southern President John Rudley said the student who died was a freshman. His name has not been released.

    “He was a beautiful young man trying to get his life together,” Rudley said. “I wish he was still here.”

    Two suspects were later detained, but a third got away, according to Houston police spokesperson Jody Silva.

    All of them are TSU students, Rudley said.

    In a tweet, the Houston Police said, “One person fatally shot, one wounded at 3545 Blodgett, an apartment complex near TSU campus. A possible suspect is detained. PIO en route.”

     

  • 72 people miraculously escape after BA jet catches fire in US

    72 people miraculously escape after BA jet catches fire in US

    HOUSTON (TIP): All 172 people on board a British Airways plane had a miraculous escape Sept 10 after an engine of the aircraft burst into flames on the runway just before taking off from Las Vegas to London.

    The left engine of 257-seat Boeing 777 burst into flames on the runway at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas shortly after 0430 IST while it was about to depart for London’s Gatwick Airport with 159 passengers and 13 crew members on board, according to the airport authorities.

    Heavy black smoke and orange flames could be seen pouring from under the plane’s wings, sending passengers fleeing quickly from the aircraft and across the tarmac before about 50 firefighters doused the aircraft in minutes. Officials said 14 people aboard the Flight 2276 were taken to hospital for minor injuries, most as a result of sliding down the inflatable chutes to escape.

    Fire officials said paramedics on the scene were also evaluating some passengers.

    Firefighters stationed at the airport reached the plane two minutes after getting reports of flames and within another three minutes, everyone inside the plane had escaped. After firefighters extinguished the flames, emergency vehicles could be seen surrounding the aircraft which was left a sooty gray from the smoke and fire retardant.

    Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane’s left engine caught fire and an investigation was underway. The National Transportation Safety Board was collecting information about the incident, said Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the agency in Washington.

    Clark County deputy fire chief Jon Klassen said the cause of the fire wasn’t clear yet, but the fire didn’t appear to breach the cabin.

    One of the airport’s runways was shut down but operations continued on the other three runways, officials said.

    Las Vegas’ airport is the ninth-busiest in the US and had nearly 43 million passengers last year. The airport has been taking steps to accommodate more international travellers seeking direct flights to Europe and Asia, including adding new gates to accommodate wide-body double-decker jets.

  • Houston teen wins 2015 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee

    Houston teen wins 2015 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee

    NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (TIP): Shourav Dasari correctly spelled the word “Psocoptera” (an order of insects including booklice) during the 2015 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee finals to clinch the title of national champion and took home a cash prize of $10,000 from MetLife

    During the MetLife event on Aug.14, which was taped live for broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television, Shourav along with 23 other finalists competed for the title. Siyona Mishra of Florida and Smrithi Upadyayula of Texas were National runners up.

    The event was organized by the South Asian advertising firm Touchdown Media Inc. and sponsored by MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Sony Entertainment Television was the exclusive rights holder and broadcast the event across the globe in over 119 countries.

    Food major Kawan Food returned as Powered by sponsor and this year leading brand Britannia joined up as presenting sponsor for its fondly known as the Gold Standard in Spelling Bees.

    “On behalf of MetLife, I’m pleased to congratulate Shourav, Siyona, Smrithi, and all the contestants who took part in this year’s competition on a job well done,” said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president, Diverse Markets, MetLife Premier Client Group. “In cities across the country, our financial professionals are part of the fabric of their local South Asian communities, and this event provides a wonderful opportunity for all of us to give back.”

    The special guest at the finals was Gokul Venkatachalam, the 2014 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee National Champion and 2014 Scripps National Co-champion, who helped co-host a portion of the event.

    The event was open to children up to 14 years of age and was held in 12 regional centers across the United States. These areas included, New Jersey, DC Metro area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Bay Area and the newly added Orlando.

    The contest was conducted in written and oral format at the regional levels which served as the elimination as well as selection process for the finalists.

    After registering their child online, parents brought them to the designated center and a 25-word written test was administered. Children had to spell 15 or more words correctly to qualify for the afternoon oral round and from there the top three were awarded prize money and the top two qualified for the finals.

    “We are extremely happy with Shourav’s win at the Bee as it goes to show that todays South Asian kids are all rounders and highly dedicated to their craft. We produced a special secton called “Meet the Spellers where the viewers will have an opportunity to get to know some of the spellers including Shourav better,” said Tim Tan, Managing Director, Kawan Food, makers of the world’s most popular Roti Paratha Brand in the world – Kawan Paratha.

    “Nail Biting contest year after year and I personally was unable to get up during the bee! It’s amazing to see the pool of talent from our community and am happy for Shourav’s win and excited to get to know him and some of the other spellers better in the “Meet the Speller” series airing shortly on Sony,” said Jaideep Janakiram, Head of North America, Sony Entertainment Television-Asia.

    Children up to 14 years of age were eligible to participate and the contest saw spellers of even 6 years of age compete and make it past a few rounds. Registration for 2016 will open in October this year and for more information and to register your child, please visit www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com.

  • Indian American Elderly Couple Shot Dead in North Carolina

    Indian American Elderly Couple Shot Dead in North Carolina

    HOUSTON:  An elderly Indian-American couple has been shot dead in the US state of North Carolina and police have arrested a 20-year-old suspect in connection with the slayings.

    Kantibhai Patel, 72, and his wife Hansaben Patel, 67 worked and lived at Best Western Point South were shot and killed on Sunday morning.

    Hours later, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Lenard Poacher in connection with the slayings, Jasper County Sun Times reported.

    Poacher was charged with two counts of murder in the killings of the Patels, it said.

    Sheriff Greg Jenkins said Poacher was arrested without incident at a hotel in Ridgeland.

    The Patels lived at the Point South-based hotel and had worked there for 10 years, according to the sheriff’s office.

    “A beautiful couple, no doubt,” Jenkins said. “Lives were taken from them, senselessly. You could not give an account for such a tragedy; why an individual would do such a thing.”

    Jenkins said they were able to track down Poacher after he tried to use credit cards taken from the Patels. Police also viewed surveillance footage and received tips via phone calls.

    It was not known what led to the homicides. Jenkins did not know if Poacher knew the couple.

    “What led up to that, what was the relationship between the three individuals, we have no idea,” Jenkins said.

    The Patels were found shot inside a room at the hotel. Jenkins said his office received tips that helped lead to Poacher’s arrest, but there were no eyewitness accounts, no reports of an argument, shouting or a fight.

  • Indian Americans Unveil Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue in Houston

    Indian Americans Unveil Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue in Houston

    A day after India celebrated its 69th Independence Day, Indian-Americans in Houston, Texas paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by unveiling his bronze statue.

    Unveiled at the entrance of “Little India” — an area off Hillcroft Avenue in Texas – the monument is a marble structure bearing a bronze engraving of the Mahatma’s face.

    “This is a fitting monument,” chron.com news portal quoted Harish Parvathaneni, the Consul General of India, as saying.

    The Indian community raised $25,000 to construct the statue and worked closely with the city officials.

    The first draft that arrived in July did not look like Gandhi so it was redesigned again, the portal said.

    Nearly 125,000 people of Indian origin live in Houston.

    “In 1968, there were barely half a dozen Indian families that had made this their home,” Virendra Mathur, trustee and co-founder of a local community centre, was quoted as saying.

    Several officials attended the event, including US Representative Al Green (D-Houston), state Representative Gene Wu (D-Houston) and Houston city council member Mike Laster.

    “Gandhi is famous for saying, ‘We should be the change that we seek’. It is obvious that this community has taken up this cause,” Green said.

    The area in Houston was formally named “The Mahatma Gandhi district” in 2011 and is home to dozens of Indian restaurants, grocery stores, jewellery stores and other businesses.

  • Burglars Targeting Indian Americans – Texas Police

    Burglars Targeting Indian Americans – Texas Police

    After a burglary at the home of an Indian American in the US state of Texas, police fear that a notorious crime syndicate that primarily targeted people of Indian descent have resurfaced in the area.

    On July 17, two persons broke into the house in Plano, a city in Texas, through the back door – and in full view of a surveillance camera perched just above the back patio, the Dallas Morning News reported.

    Police fear that the home invasion past week could be the handiwork of a group of burglars notorious for targeting Indian-Americans last year.

    “These suspects might possibly be the Asian/Indian residential burglars that have hit in the past,” said David Tilley, spokesman for the Plano police.

    He, however, stresses that this is just a hunch, but one based on reliable intel.

    In December several people were arrested in connection with home invasions and a carjacking, where the victims were of Indian descent.

    The suspects in last year’s robberies were from Houston and Colombia.

    Mr Tilley said that “Houston has had repeated problems with this group” in the past.

    Mr Tilley said last week Irving Police reported “having a similar incident where the victim was [of] Asian/Indian decent (just as ours was).”

    “We have asked Irving police for further information and will update when they respond.”

    “We want to get the word out early even though this is our first suspected incident,” Mr Tilley said.

    “Again, this is just suspected at this time, and we have nothing to prove they are in fact this group, but we want to warn those who might be affected to stay alert.”

  • A Taste of India in Houston

    A Taste of India in Houston

    HOUSTON (TIP): Two Ratha Yatras (Hindu Festival of Chariots) have been planned in Houston (Texas) during this month.

    It is like getting a taste of India and Hinduism without leaving Houston.

    “Greater Houston Rath Yatra” at Discovery Green on July 11, besides a procession of hand-pulled chariots bearing Hindu deities, will also include vegan dinner, traditional dance performances, multicultural entertainment and activities for children.

    “8th Annual Chariot Festival” on Bellfort Village Drive on July 18, besides pulling the chariot, will also include live musical performance by Pandit Jasraj and troupe and a free health fair.

    Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, July 9, applauded efforts of the organizers and Houston community to realize these wonderful festivals, exhibiting the richness of Hinduism.

    Rath Yatra is said to be the oldest known parade in the world and it is believed that pullers of this Lord Jagannatha’s chariot receive immense spiritual benefit. Popularized outside India by International Society for Krishna Consciousness founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this annual parade festival has reportedly been held annually in over 50 major cities in USA, Canada, Europe, etc., since 1960s.

    The original Ratha Jatra is held on a grand scale in Puri (Odisha, India), where the presiding deities of Sri Mandira—Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra—with celestial wheel Sudarshana are driven on the chariots to about two miles north Gundicha temple in an elaborate ritual procession, where the huge colorfully decorated chariots are drawn by thousands of devotees. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode in Sri Mandira. A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be highly auspicious and even a touch of the chariot is believed to yield benefits equivalent to several pious deeds. Many poets have written its glories. This year, it will be held on July 18.

    Rajan Zed points out that ancient Hindu scripture Katha Upanishad talks about the concept of chariot, where soul is the deity, body is the chariot, and intellect the charioteer. Skanda Purana glorifies Rath Jatra’s sanctity.

  • Top Indian American Doctor Shot Dead

    Top Indian American Doctor Shot Dead

    HOUSTON, TEXAS:  Renowned Indian-American cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli, who performed the world’s first simultaneous hybrid revascularisation, was shot dead by his friend and business associate who then committed suicide in Odesaa in the US state of Texas, police said.

    Dr Gadasalli, 53, was shot dead by 60-year-old patient and business associate Ayyasamy Thangam at the ‘Healthy Heart Centre’ on Thursday, according to a release issued by the Odessa Police Department.

    Thangam then closed the door of the room the two men were in and witnesses heard another, single gunshot, it added.

    According to Corporal Steve LeSueur, the two men were close friends and business associates.

    Dr Gadasalli’s brother-in-law said that the two families knew each other for a decade, and that the last rites will be held in Odessa likely on Wednesday.

    The incident shocked the city, popular for Laura and George Bush’s home city of 2.5 lakh people.

    LeSueur on Friday declined to release a possible motive for the killings and the police had no information on why Thangam was being treated.

    Dr Gadasalli hailed from Bangalore and was educated at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, Karnataka, before studying at the Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and the Sinai Samaritan Centre in Milwaukee.

    He was recruited by Medical Centre Hospital in Odessa, Texas in 1994.

    The Healthy Heart Centre profile mentions that Dr Gadasalli was recognised as a leading physician of the world by the International Association of Cardiologists.

    He was named “super doctor” by Texas Monthly in 2008.

    In 2005, he performed the world’s first simultaneous hybrid revascularisation, which involved two major procedures – coronary artery bypass and stent replacement, using a robotic system known as the Da Vinci Surgical System.

    Gadasalli was previously investigated in a federal court case on a currency structuring charge. The FBI began their investigation into the Healthy Heart Center in June of 2012.

    He was accused of violating federal law in structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, according to previous reports.

    According to court records, Gadasalli’s case was closed on January 22, 2014.

  • Three Indian Americans Finalists for White House Fellowship

    Three Indian Americans Finalists for White House Fellowship

    Three Indian Americans are among the national finalists for the 2015-16 White House Fellowship that offers exceptional Americans first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.

     

    Luxme Hariharan, Payal Patel and Anil Yallapragada are among those representing “an accomplished and diverse cross-section of professionals from the private sector, academia, medicine, and armed services”.

     

    The national finalists, selected through a highly competitive selection process, will be evaluated by the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships in Washington from June 11-14, according to a statement.

    Luxme Hariharan is a pediatric cataract, glaucoma, cornea and international health fellow, at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, University of Southern California Eye Institute.

    Payal Patel is infectious diseases fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, in Houston.

    Anil Yallapragada is Medical Director, South Carolina Stroke Institute, Grand Strand Medical Centre.

    There are more than 700 White House Fellow alumni, a distinguished group that includes former secretary of state Colin Powell, CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

  • China and India Immigrants Becoming US Citizens at High Rate

    China and India Immigrants Becoming US Citizens at High Rate

    For the first time in decades, the number of immigrants coming to the United States from China and India outnumbers those coming from Mexico. It’s a historic shift that has caught the attention of service providers across the country working to help immigrants become U.S. citizens.

    “We’ve seen a huge change in recent immigration,” Jeanne Batalova, senior policy researcher at Migration Policy Institute, told reporters on a national press call Wednesday. The call was hosted by the New Americans Campaign, in collaboration with New America Media and the National Immigration Forum.

    Of 1.2 million recent immigrants who came to the United States in 2013, 147,000 immigrants came from China, the leading country of origin, followed by 129,000 immigrants from India, and then 125,000 immigrants from Mexico.

    Asian Americans also have among the highest naturalization rates in the United States: Less than half of all immigrants in the United States (47 percent) are naturalized U.S. citizens, while the percentage for Asian immigrants is significantly higher, at 59 percent. The proportion of naturalized U.S. citizens is highest for Vietnamese (76 percent) and Taiwanese (74 percent), followed by Filipinos (68 percent), Koreans (59 percent), Chinese (51 percent) and Indians (47 percent).

    These numbers are high despite the fact that some countries, like China, still do not offer dual citizenship. Others, like the Philippines (in 2003) and South Korea (in 2010), have made changes to their dual citizenship requirements.

    Yet even for those who do not have access to dual citizenship, the benefits of U.S. citizenship can be very attractive — including security and protection from deportation, the ability to travel freely, the right to vote and run for political office, and the ability to sponsor a wider range of family members for immigration to the United States.

    Citizenship also brings economic benefits, said Batalova. Studies show that naturalized citizens earn more than non-citizen counterparts, are less likely to be unemployed and are better represented in high-skilled jobs.

    Still, many immigrants face barriers that can prevent them from becoming citizens, such as limited English proficiency or limited income, said Jannette Diep, executive director of Boat People SOS-Houston. Boat People SOS is part of the New Americans Campaign, a national coalition of over 100 organizations that helps immigrants overcome these barriers to make citizenship more accessible. For example, the campaign offers free workshops to help people apply for citizenship, provides English language and civics classes, and helps people apply for fee waivers if they can’t afford the $680 application fee.

    Citizenship is “a very important step for the Asian American community because it allows them to become more integrated in America,” said Diep. “This integration allows the AAPI community to become more visible in U.S. cities, increasingly getting elected to public office.”

    According to a report released last year by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the number of Asian American public officials has reached historic levels, with more than 4,000 Asian Americans holding public office in 39 states and the federal government.

    For Zen Santos, who came to Los Angeles from the Philippines in 2008, becoming an American citizen allowed her to have a say in the future of her new country.

    “I felt that I lacked something – to be involved, and that is to vote,” Santos told reporters on Wednesday.

    But when Santos lost her job, she found that she couldn’t afford the application fee. That’s when Santos sought help from the Filipino American Service Group, Inc., (FASGI) in Los Angeles, which is part of the New Americans Campaign. The group helped Santos get a fee waiver, and she became a citizen in 2013.

    “I am American now, and I can vote now,” Santos said. “I have to get involved in deciding for this country where I live now.”

    For more information about the New Americans Campaign, go to: newamericanscampaign.org

  • Indian American Sikh Harkeert Singh Saini Wins Prestigious Police Award in Texas

    Indian American Sikh Harkeert Singh Saini Wins Prestigious Police Award in Texas

    HOUSTON (TIP):  An 44-year-old Indian-American policeman has been awarded the prestigious “Top Civilian Supervisor of the Year” award for his efficient services to the Houston Police department in the US state of Texas.

    Harkeert Singh Saini received the award from Police Chief Charles A McClelland And Houston Mayor Anise Parker during a function held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here earlier this week.

    Saini, a police records supervisor has been working for the Houston Police department for the last 15 years.

    “Harkeert Singh Saini is a very efficient officer and very worthy of this award. Houston police department is proud of Saini” said Muzaffar Siddiqi, senior police officer of city Police department.

    Various community leaders including Gurdip Singh Buttar, S Gurnam Singh Sandhar, Ajinder Singh Dhatt were present during the occasion and congratulated Saini for his achievement.

    Saini, a graduate from Deshbandu College in New Delhi, hails from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He came to the city in 1998, joined Houston Police Department in March 2000 and was subsequently promoted as an office supervisor in the following years.

  • Body Believed to be of Puneet Nehra Found in US River

    Body Believed to be of Puneet Nehra Found in US River

    HOUSTON:  The US authorities have recovered a body believed to be that of an Indian IT professional who went missing last week after a suspected drunken driver knocked him into a river when he tried to help the victims of a car crash.

    A body found in the Brazos River near Clute is believed to be the remains of Puneet Nehra, 43, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.

    Divers with Equusearch recovered the body around 1 p.m. Saturday after the search for the man was extended downriver.

    Mr Puneet Nehra, 43, of Sugar Land, went missing on May 3 while he was assisting a motorist involved in a minor wreck at a bridge crossing the Brazos River at the Grand Parkway, ABC news reported.

    A passing driver struck the stranded car while Mr Nehra and another person were trying to push it to safety, authorities said. The force of the impact apparently threw Mr Nehra off the bridge and into the fast-moving river, about 50 feet below.

    The driver suspected of striking the stranded car, Gregory Lee Kure, 30, of Needville, was arrested and has been charged with intoxication assault, authorities said.

    Sheriff’s officials said Kure struck the stranded car only a few minutes before any first responders arrived at the accident scene. He was later released after posting a $ 25,000 bond but may face additional charges, officials said.

    The Sheriff’s Office, along with local fire departments, have been actively searching the river by boat and helicopter for the last one week.

    Mr Nehra migrated to the US from Noida in 2005 and was working in Avanade – a Microsoft and Accenture joint venture.

    Although they believe the body found in the river is Mr Nehra, an official identification will be made by the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office.

  • How Houston is becoming the new hub for Indian-American community in Texas

    How Houston is becoming the new hub for Indian-American community in Texas

    HOUSTON (TIP): Move over New Jersey and Fremont, California. With a population of 150,000 Indian-Americans, Houston, Texas, is emerging as a new hub for the community. “A couple of decades back many Indian professionals had come to Houston, including doctors who came to work at the famous Texas Medical Center and engineers who came to join Nasa’s Johnson Space Center. But now members of the community have come of age with many of them becoming entrepreneurs and setting up different ventures, including those in manufacturing and energy and petrochemicals,” says Jagdip Ahluwalia, a Houston-based businessman, who was a faculty member of the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, before moving to the US.

    An example is Piping Technology & Products, which was a set up in 1978 by Durga D Agrawal in his garage. Today, the company has a wide industrial product range, including pipe supports, expansion joints and shock control devices and more. The company has grown through acquisitions of Sweco Fab, Fronek Anchor/Darling, Pipe Shields and US Bellows.”

    Piping Tech is among the largest employers in the greater Houston area and its founder is a well-known businessman and influencer, who supports charitable and philanthropic activities,” says Ahluwalia.

    He adds that there are many other Indian-American owned companies such as Vinmar International, a petrochemicals company and hospitality and food services majors in Houston. “And members of the community are now also playing an important role in public life and community services, and are visible in various leadership positions in Houston,” says Ahluwalia, who is executive director and a founder member of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston.

    Ravi K Sandill, judge of the 127th district court in Harris County of Houston, became the first South Asian to hold the position in the US while another Indian-American, Himesh Gandhi, was elected to the Sugar Land City Council in 2012. Nandita Berry, an Indian-American attorney from Houston, was the former secretary of state of Texas.

    “Indians are now among the most-respected communities in the Greater Houston area with many making an impact in public policy. We now have a place at the table and there are Indian faces in different administrative and community organizations,” says Sanjay Ramabhadran, vice president at CP&Y, a Texas-based infrastructure consulting firm.

    He was honored as one of the 10 outstanding young Americans in 2012 by the US Junior Chamber. He adds that the chancellor of the University of Houston, Dr Renu Khator, who had helped make UH a tier-1 university and generate huge revenues, is a prominent member of the community.

    But it’s not just in business and public life that Indians in Houston are coming of age. Members of the community are also involved in philanthropic and charitable causes. “Sugar Land city in Houston has emerged as a hub for Indian-Americans.

    There are a large number of Indian restaurants across Greater Houston and the city is very friendly towards those arriving from India,” says Ashok Garg, who runs his company Allied Exports and is president of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. He is associated with various community activities including serving on the board of Literacy Advance of Houston and is currently on the board of Lighthouse of Houston, a non-profit dedicated to helping the visually impaired.

    A recent business delegation to India from Houston, led by Houston mayor Annise D Parker, had several meetings with key business leaders in energy, engineering and government. Bobby Singh, principal at Isani Consultants that offers civil engineering and construction services in Houston, said in regard to the mission, “Houston is a diverse, immigrant-friendly city where Indo-Americans like myself share in the city’s success and we have a mayor who recognizes the importance of nurturing those international ties.”

  • Fire Breaks Out at Gurudwara in Houston

    Fire Breaks Out at Gurudwara in Houston

    HOUSTON: A major fire broke out in a Gurudwara in Houston, Texas causing heavy damages to the building.

     

    The blaze started around 9.15 pm yesterday at the Guru Ravidas temple off Boone and Village Bend in West of Houston, fire officials said.

     

    No one was injured in the fire.

     

    The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, they said.

     

    Houston area is home to several Sikh Gurdwaras. Sikh temples cater to the spiritual and religious requirements of Punjabi community in Houston.

     

    Besides celebrating major festivals like Baishaki, Gurdwaras in Houston also organise weekly Kirtan, Gurbani Vichar, Punjabi language classes to strengthen the cultural heritage of local Sikh community.

  • Indian-Americans Donate $1 Million to University of Arizona

    Indian-Americans Donate $1 Million to University of Arizona

    HOUSTON:  An Indian-American couple has donated USD one million for the construction of a cancer services facility at the University of Arizona.

    The couple, Dr Ram, an orthopedic surgeon, and Meera Krishna made the donation in memory of Meera’s sister, Mandira Jalajakshi, who was a physician practicing in England when she passed away in 2012.

    The donation will go towards the construction of the UA Cancer Center at St Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center outpatient facility that would offer comprehensive cancer services, including infusion, radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, endoscopic radiology, a prevention center, clinical lab space and several specialized cancer clinics.

    The five-story, 2,20,000 square-foot facility – a partnership between the varsity and St Joseph’s Hospital – is currently under construction in downtown Phoenix and expected to open in September.

    The couple, whose two daughters graduated from the UA, said they wanted to give back to the school their children attended, and support UA medical education and research.

    “I was very impressed with President Hart’s vision, and we wanted to give back. Education and research in the medical field are very important to us,” a press statement quoted Ram as saying.

    In recognition of the Krishnas’ gift, a space in the new center will bear the name of the late Jalajakshi.

  • Indian-American Renu Khator to head US Higher Education council ACE

    Indian-American Renu Khator to head US Higher Education council ACE

    Dallas (TIP) : Indian American Renu Khator, Chancellor of University of Houston System and also President of University of Houston, will be the new Chair of American Council on Education (ACE) which is the most influential higher education association. She will be succeeding James H Mullen Jr  from tomorrow.  

    Uttar Pradesh-born and University of Kanpur educated Khator told PTI that “On March 16, I will become chairman of the American Council on Education, a national organisation representing all institutions of higher education– from elite private to community colleges to ‘for profit’ universities – in America.” 

    “In the next decade, American higher education is going to be transformed. We need a collective voice, a shared platform, a place where we can collectively anticipate change, dare to innovate, and learn from each other’s mistakes. 

    “I think ACE provides that forum, that collective voice that shared space, and that togetherness,” reads a message by Khator on ACE’s official website.  

    She will be the first ever Indian immigrant to lead a comprehensive research university in the US. She is also the UH System’s first woman chancellor and UH’s first foreign-born president. Last year, she was named the chairperson of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ board of directors.  

    Currently the Vice Chair of ACE, she says she feels tremendously honoured to be selected for the new position by fellow presidents. 

    ACE represents the presidents of US accredited, degree- granting institutions, which include two and four-year colleges, private and public universities, and non-profit and for-profit entities. In its role representing all sectors of higher education, ACE provides higher education administrators multiple opportunities to learn from colleagues and experts. 
     
    According to Khator, both the Indian and US education systems have the same mission but take different approaches to accomplish it. 

    “India does not have a two-year college system for those who wish to pursue trade related degrees. It has a cohort system where a student enters a university and must continue and finish his or her degree at a predetermined course in a pre-selected field.

     
    In US, students can work on their own pace and start their degree at any age and change majors several times,” she says.

    “Bachelor’s education in the US includes two years of common core. Irrespective of your field of study – engineering or commerce or arts – everyone must take common courses in humanities, math and social sciences,” she says.

    A product of the Indian education system, she says she values it for all that it offers

  • Indo-Americans of Greater Houston Day resolved and will be celebrated on February 18

    The House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature recognized February 18, 2015, as Indo-Americans of Greater Houston Day at the State Capitol.

    Members of the Indian American community will be gathering in Austin on February 18, 2015, for Indo-Americans of Greater Houston Day. 

    The number of Texans of South Asian descent doubled to more than 350,000; over 115,000 people of Indian origin live in the Houston metropolitan area, making it one of the top population centers for Indian
    Americans in the United States.

  • Hindu temple vandalised in US

    Hindu temple vandalised in US

    A Hindu temple has been vandalised with hate speech in the US state of Washington, the incident happened when unidentified miscreants sprayed swastika and painted “Get Out” on one of the walls of the temple in the Seattle Metropolitan area.

    It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the entire North West.

    The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is investigating this case as malicious harassment. 

    Today the temple is celebrating Mahashivratri.

    “The timing of this crime, occurring before a major Hindu festival, warrants special attention from law enforcement,” said Jay Kansara, director of Government Relations, Hindu American Foundation.

    Of late there has been increasing incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples in the US including one in Loudoun County, Virginia and Monroe, Georgia last year.

    As of January 1, 2015, the Department of Justice ordered all crime reporting forms to include the category anti-Hindu under the possible motives of hate crimes.

    “Houses of worship are places where people should be able to be safe, at peace, and inspired to serve others,” said Padma Kuppa, HAF board member.

    “Instead, the vandalism of the Hindu temple in Seattle and the arson of a mosque in Houston this past weekend incite fear and result in distrust among communities,” he said.

  • Hindu temple vandalised in Washington United States with hate speech painted on walls

    Hindu temple vandalised in Washington United States with hate speech painted on walls

    A Hindu temple has been vandalised with hate speech in the US state of Washington, sending shock waves through the community in the area and prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

    The incident happened when unidentified miscreants sprayed swastika and painted “Get Out” on one of the walls of the temple in the Seattle Metropolitan area. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the entire North West.

    The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is investigating this case as malicious harassment. Yesterday top county officials visited the temple.

    “This kind of thing should not happen in the US. Who are you telling to get out? This is a nation of immigrants,” Nitya Niranjan, chairman of board of trustee of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre, Bothell, Washington told PTI.

    Today the temple is celebrating Mahashivratri.

    Niranjan said some kind of painting was sprayed on the outside wall of the temple a few years ago, but they did not bring it to the notice of the law enforcement authorities as nothing was written.

    “We have no idea, who did it,” Niranjan said. While the temple has been there for nearly two decades, the construction on the second phase of the current building began recently. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the incident.

    “The timing of this crime, occurring before a major Hindu festival, warrants special attention from law enforcement,” said Jay Kansara, director of Government Relations, Hindu American Foundation.

    Of late there has been increasing incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples in the US including one in Loudoun County, Virginia and Monroe, Georgia last year.

    As of January 1, 2015, the Department of Justice ordered all crime reporting forms to include the category anti-Hindu under the possible motives of hate crimes.

    “Houses of worship are places where people should be able to be safe, at peace, and inspired to serve others,” said Padma Kuppa, HAF board member.

    “Instead, the vandalism of the Hindu temple in Seattle and the arson of a mosque in Houston this past weekend incite fear and result in distrust among communities,” he said.

  • Sikh Officers of Harris County allowed to wear their turbans on duty

    Sikh Officers of Harris County allowed to wear their turbans on duty

    HOUSTON, TEXAS (TIP): On February 6, Sheriff Adrian Garcia and members of Texas’s Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) made history as they held a press conference to welcome the agency’s first Sikh American deputy who will serve while wearing Sikh articles of faith, including the turban and beard.

    Sikh Americans, who have been in the United States for over 125 years, wear their articles of faith to signify a commitment to equality, service, and justice. Harris County has made history as the largest Sheriff’s office in the United States to have amongst its employees an observant Sikh American to serve his local community as a full-time deputy with his articles of faith in tact.

    “We commend Sheriff Adrian Garcia and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for their leadership, and in recognizing that Sikh Americans and residents of Harris County should have the opportunity to serve their community, as we have done throughout our 125 year history in the United States,” said Jasjit Singh, Executive Director, SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund). “With this policy, one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the country has affirmed that a person does not have to choose between their faith and a career of service.”

    Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, an observant Sikh American, will for the first time be allowed to wear his Sikh articles of faith, including a dastaar (turban) and beard as part of his HCSO uniform. Dep. Dhaliwal joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in January 2009 as a detention officer. He became a patrol deputy in 2012 but per departmental policy at the time, he was not allowed to wear a turban or beard, both articles of faith of the Sikh religion. Due to Sheriff Garcia’s leadership that policy has now changed. In 2014, Sheriff Garcia allowed for exceptions to the HCSO’s uniform policy to allow for accommodation of religious articles under the dress code if it does not interfere with the employee’s duty. Accordingly, Sikh employees and prospective deputies can apply to wear turbans, neatly groomed beards, and other articles of faith.

    “By making these religious accommodations we will ensure that the HCSO reflects the community we serve, one of the most culturally rich and diverse communities in America,” said Sheriff Garcia. “We believe that cross-cultural inclusion and understanding is imperative for law enforcement agencies in any community. HCSO deputies need to not only understand, respect, and communicate with all segments of the population, but represent it as well,” he added.

    “Our turbans and beards represent our belief in equality. They represent a lifetime commitment to selfless service for the welfare of all,” Jasjit Singh declared.

    “Sheriff Garcia’s commitment to inclusion will help ensure that Harris County continues to attract the best and brightest from across our community to serve,” said Bobby Singh, Regional Director, SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund). “Sikh Americans cherish the values that are cultivated through a career in law enforcement, like service and commitment.”

    Starting in December 2008, just one month after being elected sheriff, Sheriff Adrian Garcia met with the Sikh American community at the Sikh Center of Houston in order to ensure that the HCSO will facilitate the safety of all its residents. That meeting was the first of many Sheriff Garcia has held with the Sikh community and other religious and ethnic groups since taking office in 2009. Upon taking office in January 2009, Sheriff Garcia immediately expanded diversity training for all Sheriff’s Office personnel, established regular faith leaders meetings, and created a Citizen Advisory Council to foster and improve communication with the public.

    The HCSO is the largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States to have a full-time Sikh American officer with his articles of faith intact due to a religious accommodation exception to their dress code policy. “We believe that this announcement will inspire other local law enforcement units from around the country to follow in Harris County’s footsteps,” said Jasjit Singh, Executive Director, SALDEF.

    SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program provided training materials, curriculum, and instructors to the HCSO during the past six years. LEPP began as the first formalized cultural awareness training program for law enforcement about Sikh Americans in 1999. The curriculum has expanded to reach 100,000 officers and agents throughout the country.

    In May 2012, Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the seventh largest police force in the nation, became the first major police department in the United States to explicitly and voluntarily allow Sikh Americans to serve as full-time, uniformed police officers while keeping their articles of faith. Subsequently, California’s Riverside PD was the first police department in California, and only the second in the nation, to proactively amend their uniform guidance. California’s AB1964 then created statewide religious accommodations in favor of employees and job applications, which allows Sikh Americans to serve in the state with their articles of faith intact.

  • BILL GATES FOUNDATION TO TURN HUMAN FAECES INTO POTABLE WATER

    BILL GATES FOUNDATION TO TURN HUMAN FAECES INTO POTABLE WATER

    HOUSTON (TIP): With an aim to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supply, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has joined hands with a US firm to develop a plant which can turn human faeces into potable water, saying the new technology could be a “great fit” in India.

    The plant known the Omniprocessor was designed and built by Seattle-based Janicki Bioenergy and backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The facility would try to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supplies.

    According to a blog post of Bill Gates, at least 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to adequate sanitation, with human waste often polluting the water supply and remaining untreated.

    Gates said the Omniprocessor could also be a “great fit” in India working with local entrepreneurs to make the machine a reality.

    “There’s no indication of price (it could be “several years” until it’s ready), but at the same size as two double-decker buses, it’s definitely not a consumer technology. Instead, it’s hoped that local governments and entrepreneurs will be interested,” he said in the blog.

    “Diseases caused by poor sanitation kill some 7,00,000 children every year,” Gates wrote, “and they prevent many more from fully developing mentally and physically,” he added.

    “Western toilets aren’t the answer, because they require a massive infrastructure of sewer lines and treatment plants that just isn’t feasible in many poor countries. So a few years ago our foundation put out a call for a new solution,” Gates said.

    “The “Omniprocessor” aims to help with this problem. Its development is led by Seattle-based engineering firm Janicki Bioenergy,” he added.The machine extracts water from sewage that’s piped in or delivered to the facility. The dry sewage is then incinerated to generate steam, which powers the entire machine.Gates publicly demonstrated his commitment to the new technology by drinking a glass of water on camera that entered the machine as feces just minutes before.

    He said that it’s as “good as any he’s had out a bottle” and would “happily drink it every day.A test plant is up and working at Janicki’s headquarters, according to the blog post. The first operational plant is planned for Senegal.”The next-generation processor, more advanced than the one I saw, will handle waste from 1,00,000 people, producing up to 86,000 litres of potable water a day and a net 250 kw of electricity,” he wrote. “If we get it right, it will be a good example of how philanthropy can provide seed money that draws bright people to work on big problems, eventually creating a self-supporting industry.” the blog post added.

  • Texas Leads Best States For Future Job Growth

    Texas Leads Best States For Future Job Growth

    DALLAS (TIP): Rick Perry ascended from Lieutenant Governor to Governor of Texas in December 2000 when thengovernor George Bush resigned after being elected the 43rd President of the United States. Perry will retire in January with the tenth longest gubernatorial tenure in U.S. history. Perry made job creation one of his principle mantras, and he has overseen remarkable employment gains under his watch with 2.1 million jobs added during his tenure.

    The total represents 30% of the jobs added in the U.S. since 2000 and more than twice as many as any other state. The so-called “Texas miracle” does not show any signs of slowing either with 413,000 jobs added over the last 12 months. Texas is expected to have the nation’s fastest annual job growth rate at 2.7% over the next five years, according to data from Moody’s Analytics. Texas has low taxes and light regulation, but Perry’s record also has benefited from the headwinds at his back regarding energy. Oil prices hovered around $30 a barrel between 1986 and 2002 before a stunning climb that peaked at $145 in 2008. Prices plummeted during the Great Recession and over the past month, but oil is still trading around $80 a barrel. The higher prices have propelled massive investments in Texas both financially and in regards to human capital. “Texas has done well primarily because it is an energy center.

    You really can’t get around that,” says Edward Friedman, an economist who tracks Texas for Moody’s Analytics. “Every major energy and oil company has realized over the last 15 years that the only place to be is Houston.” Texas’ prosperity and pro-business environment have led companies outside of the energy sector to flock to the state in recent years. Toyota announced plans to move its North American headquarters from California to a new campus in Plano that will create 4,000 jobs. The Texas Enterprise Fund granted Toyota $40 million to sweeten the pot.

    San Francisco brokerage firm Charles Schwab is moving hundreds of jobs out of California with Austin and El Paso targeted for company expansion. Apple is undergoing an expansion that will roughly double its Austin workforce by hiring 3,600 new employees. Texas ranks first for both its current economic climate and growth prospects in our annual study on the Best States for Business. There are 118 of the largest companies in the U.S. based in Texas, including heavyweights like AT&T ,Exxon Mobil and Dell .

  • 8-year-old Indian-origin CEO to address cyber security summit

    8-year-old Indian-origin CEO to address cyber security summit

    HOUSTON (TIP): An eightyear old Indian-origin child prodigy, Reuben Paul, is among experts who will address a cyber security conference in New Delhi on November 14, national Children’s Day. The US-based whizkid Reuben Paul will speak about the need for developing cyber security skills in the current generation, according to the organizers of Ground Zero Summit.

    Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh, is also listed as a keynote speaker for the event. The organizers said, “8-year-old Reuben Paul gives keynote at Houston Security Conference.” Reuben has been trained in Object C programming language by his father, Mano Paul. The child prodigy is now learning Swift programming, for Apple’s iOS platform. He has his own gaming firm called Prudent Games, and is designated as CEO of the company. Mano Paul, his father is his partner in the company. “I started learning about computer languages around one-and-a-half years back.

    Now I design my own projects,” Reuben stated. “This will be Reuben’s fourth conference where he will be giving lecture on cyber security. He will talk about need to create awareness about cyber security among young kids as well as demo white page hacking,” Mano Paul said. Other keynote speakers listed for the event include Home Ministry Joint Secretary Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, National Technical Research Organization Director of Cyber Security Operations Alok Vijayant and Special Commissioner Police (Traffic) with Delhi Police Muktesh Chander. Recently an Indian-origin teenager Shubham Banerjee secured funding from Intel to manufacture a low-cost Braille printer.

    The middle-schooler is one of the world’s youngest venture capital-backed entrepreneurs. Banerjee plans to massproduce the printers and sell them for about $350.

  • Possible UFO over Houston

    Possible UFO over Houston

    HOUSTON (TIP):
    Pictures posted online of a bright object over the skies of Houston Monday, August 11 night have attracted attention from around the world. Now new video shows bright lights Monday night over southeast Houston. Video shot by Houston-based musician Andrew Pena shows bright lights in the skies as he drove along the Gulf Freeway near Edgebrook about 8:05 p.m. At the top of the screen, you could see bright-colored lights that appear to go in and out.

    Pena told Local 2 that he did not know he had captured more than just lightning until after he shot the video of the bright lights. Still images posted on Twitter Monday night amazed people around the world. One man from the United Kingdom emailed Local 2 claiming the photos could have been altered because he said it contains two different qualities of pixilation in the images or could have been a reflection in the lens.

    He included an illustration with his email. Other viewers thought it could have been an unmanned drone with lots of blinking lights. No one is quite sure of what to make of the latest video. They are bright lights sure to bring more bright ideas of what was captured.